Thank you to Nora7 for the ko-fi~ ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-
The relocation of the Jin emperor’s capital was a significant event for the Han state bordering them. If they could assassinate the young emperor along the way, wouldn’t that be easier than attacking Luoyang?
However, strangely, the Han state did not react. On the surface, it might be because the Jin state’s capital relocation happened too quickly, coupled with the arrival of the formidable army led by Gou Xi, making it impossible to gather their forces in time. But in reality, the issue lay within the Pingyang Palace. Shortly after the Xiongnu forces withdrew, Liu Yuan fell ill and took to his bed. Tensions rose among the Han state officials. Liu Yuan, after all, was over fifty years old, and if something unfortunate were to happen, it could lead to a change of power. At such times, who would dare to act recklessly?
Fortunately, the illness didn’t develop into a serious condition. After lying in bed for seven or eight days, Liu Yuan recovered. Both the court and the nation breathed a sigh of relief. The empress summoned more than a dozen monks to the palace to pray for the emperor’s well-being, and even the crown prince entered the palace to attend to his father’s illness. Everything seemed to return to normal.
“Ah, this illness comes at an inconvenient time.” Wearing a headband, Liu Yuan leaned on the bed and sighed softly. “Now that Luoyang is deserted, there’s no point in attacking further. It’s like having a dish without meat – a pity to abandon.”
The primary goal of attacking Luoyang was to capture the Jin emperor and the nobles and officials of the Jin state. Only by eliminating the enemy’s small court could Liu Yuan’s Han state legitimately rule over the world. However, with Luoyang now lacking an emperor, it was just an empty city, perhaps not even as valuable as the prosperous counties below. What use was there to go after it?
Moreover, the one currently in control of Luoyang, serving as the Inspector of the Central Secretariat, was none other than an old enemy of the Han state.
Kneeling by the bedside, Crown Prince Liu He humbly said, “Father, don’t worry. General Wang has led the troops to intercept, and good news will surely come.”
Liu Yuan waved his hand dismissively. “Wang Mi won’t do. This time, it’s Gou Xi going to meet the emperor. How could he let that young Sima fall into his hands? Wait until spring, then send Shi Le to attack Yu County together with Wang Mi. Once Yu County falls, how can Shou City remain unconquered?”
Shou City is just to the southeast of Yu County, separated only by the Huai River. Fortunately, the young emperor didn’t flee to Jiangdong; crossing the river would have made him unreachable.
“As long as our Han dynasty controls the northern territories, we can surely sweep through the southern regions like Wei Wu did!” Liu He knew his father liked to emulate Emperor Zhao Lie, but he was more enamored with the achievements of Wei Wu. After all, unifying the entire land was the lifelong aspiration of this “Emperor of Han.”
However, Liu Yuan’s expression remained solemn. “If Liang Zixi could be of use to me, we could take control of the northern territories. Unfortunately, this man is inscrutable.”
Realizing he might have offended his father, Liu He quickly tried to rectify the situation. “Our Han army is strong and vigorous, and how can a corner like Bing County resist? Once we capture Yu County and Yan County, and then conquer Ji County, we will naturally exert pressure on Bing County…”
This time, Liu Yuan finally turned his head, with a somewhat disappointed look in his eyes. He knew that his crown prince, though filial and knowledgeable in governance, was not adept in military matters. The danger in Bing County could not be easily dispelled by simply deploying troops. It was akin to the monks chanting outside the palace now. How many people within the Xiongnu state still fervently believed in Liang Feng’s Buddhist identity?
Now, not to mention conquering Bing County, even the safety of Pingyang was in question. With the Jin emperor absent from Luoyang, the significance of guarding Si County had diminished. Should they step back a bit and relocate the capital to Chang’an?
If only Liu Cong were still here. Liu Cong was no less capable in warfare than Liu Yao. With these two brothers working together, what would they have to fear in Bing County?
Thinking of his son, who had accompanied him for half of his life and tragically died in Shangdang, Liu Yuan couldn’t help but cough. Seeing his son’s nervous expression, Liu Yuan softened his tone. “It’s alright; there are many ways to deal with Liang Feng. You just need to focus on handling state affairs for me. Once Yong County is pacified, we’ll move the capital to Chang’an, and these issues will be trivial.”
Liu He’s hand almost stiffened; they were moving the capital to Chang’an? Wasn’t his father always determined to stay in Pingyang, the land of dragon’s prosperity? Why, after the departure of the Jin emperor, did he also want to leave Si County?
Chang’an was good, but there was a Prince of Qin!
However, Liu He didn’t dare to reveal any of these thoughts. He softly replied, “Your son will handle some miscellaneous tasks for Father Emperor. I hope Father Emperor will recover soon and pick up the world at his feet.”
Liu He’s filial nature was highly valued by Liu Yuan. Contentedly, he patted his son’s arm, drank the medicine in the bowl, and lay back on the bed. Soon, he fell asleep.
Even though his father had fallen asleep, Liu He did not leave. He continued to maintain the appearance of a filial son. However, deep down, his feelings were complicated. The person he once feared, Liu Cong, died in Bing County, and unexpectedly, Liu Yao rose to power. It seemed that his cousin Huyan You’s assessment was not far off—Liu Yao indeed had profound scheming. If not careful, when his father passed away, would Liu Yao seize the imperial throne?
Chang’an couldn’t be considered right away. They needed to figure out a way to consolidate their position first.
※
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year. Liang Feng also set off to return to Shangdang, overseeing the year-end sacrificial rites. This year was different; having been promoted to a marquis, the entire Shangdang became his fief, and the sacrificial offerings were much more solemn, even extending to the ancestral temple of the Liang family, which was also being relocated to Lu City.
Over the past two years, Liang Feng had already planned to move out essential workshops related to the foundation of the state, such as metallurgy, military industry, and ceramics, from the Liang mansion. Now, only the book and paper workshops were left to be moved near Lu City. After all, Gaodu was too close to Pingyang. If the Xiongnu attacked, the Liang mansion would be the first to bear the brunt. How could those factories, the core of strategic technologies, stand in such a precarious place?
Now, with the secondary business moved out of the Liang mansion, what remained was more like a massive military fort. Only military fields and camps were left, prioritizing the function of being prepared for defense.
In this way, they could engage incoming enemies in a pincer attack. When attacking Pingyang, it would serve as an outpost, mutually flanking Gaodu.
As for the interior of the Shangdang marquisate, a familiar figure was appointed as the internal governor. The former county magistrate of Gaodu, Guo Jiao, became the new internal governor of the marquisate. This appointment delighted Guo Jiao and filled him with sincere apprehension. However, Guo Jiao was cautious and smooth, and Shangdang had been well-governed for a long time, making it easy to manage. If it came to wartime, where it served as the frontline, generals and the staff would handle the fighting, and he would only need to manage logistics. The position of the County Commandant would be taken over by Sun Jiao. The original Shangdang county soldiers also became the exclusive three armies of the marquisate.
Quietly and skillfully, the administrative team of the new marquisate settled down. Hunting in the fields, few sacrifices but to the temple, performing the Nuo dance for mountain spirits. Liang Feng immersed himself in a busy and orderly winter celebration, dignified and solemn. Even Liang Rong, his son, was busy assisting in various matters.
After the Laba Festival, the New Year was approaching. As the Grand Commander of the Three Provinces, it was customary for Liang Feng to hold a grand New Year’s celebration. However, the celestial observations conducted by the Chongwen Hall were not favorable. There would be a solar eclipse on New Year’s Day. Liang Feng had witnessed numerous solar eclipses in the past two years, but adhering to tradition, holding the New Year’s celebration during a solar eclipse seemed too inauspicious. Therefore, the official banquet was rescheduled to the 7th day of the first month, also known as Ren Ri1People’s Day. Ren Ri was also a traditional festival during the New Year, involving activities like climbing heights and offering sacrifices, which seemed more appropriate.
With various matters piling up at the end of the year and countless banquets to attend, some important matters could not be neglected.
Gently stroking the round-bellied wine flask in his hand, Liang Feng nodded slightly, “Exquisitely carved, excellent in design. It can be put to good use.”
It was a silver wine flask, standing over a foot tall. The body of the flask was intricately carved with winding trees and flying celestial maidens. It was so exquisitely made that it resembled more of a ceremonial vessel than a common utensil. The flask also had double layers, allowing hot water or ice to be placed in the interlayer for cooling drinks in summer or warming wine in winter, displaying remarkable ingenuity.
Zhang Bin whispered, “The workshop only produced two of these this time, and the cost is no less than ten thousand coins. Are they all going to be sent to the Xiongnu?”
“Not to the Xiongnu, but to Liu Yuan,” Liang Feng placed the wine flask down and said casually, “Earlier, Xingling brought news that Liu Yuan had just recovered from an illness. This person is cautious by nature and has no other hobbies. How can we miss this penchant for alcohol?”
Liu Yuan had been a restrained figure for half of his life. He refrained from indulging in pleasures, did not favor extravagance, and had not even acquired the bad habit of taking elixirs. His only hobby was drinking, and half of the strong liquor produced in Shangdang found its way to Pingyang Palace.
Therefore, Liang Feng had the workshop create this unique wine flask. The flask itself had nothing particularly special, but its body was made of a mixture of silver, tin, and lead. Especially the innermost flask, which was mostly made of lead. People of that era didn’t care much about lead, and even lead-based elixirs were considered medicinal. However, Liang Feng understood clearly what the result would be when using a lead flask to contain strong liquor.
Currently, the stability of the Han Empire seemed superficial, with various forces intermingling, all relying on Liu Yuan alone to maintain balance. If Liu Yuan were to die, could his crown prince, Liu He, hold onto the throne? It was likely that his adopted son, Liu Yao, would bring him considerable trouble.
What the Xingling faction was currently working to exploit was precisely this thorn in Liu He’s heart. Once Liu Yuan passed away, a fierce battle for the imperial throne would undoubtedly erupt. The vast territories annexed by the Han Empire in the past two years appeared to be a sudden expansion, but in reality, they could not digest it all, leading to another round of slaughter and exploitation. Where there was oppression, there would be resistance. If internal strife erupted in the Han Empire, chaos would spread immediately, and he wouldn’t even need to exert much effort.
At that time, it would be the best opportunity for him to recuperate, and even expand his territory further. Only if Liu Yuan were to die!
He never expected to resort to such methods himself. Liang Feng looked at the exquisitely crafted lead flask and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It was time for someone else to taste the bitterness of heavy metal poisoning. He just didn’t know how long it would take for this subtle method to take effect.
“Make sure to deliver it to Pingyang Palace,” Liang Feng reiterated.
“Rest assured, my lord. I will personally ensure it reaches Liu Yuan’s desk,” Zhang Bin replied. He wasn’t sure if the flask would achieve the desired effect, but finding a way to deliver it to the Xiongnu court wouldn’t be too difficult. He only hoped that the troublesome Han Empire would quickly decline, freeing up space for his lord to maneuver.
